The Holy Spirit in Acts

The Dictionary describes the Holy Spirit as, "the spirit of God" The Spirit of God is seen all throughout the Hebrew Bible, beginning in the second verse of Genesis. "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." The Spirit of God features prominently in Judges, 1st/2nd Samuel, and 1st/2nd Kings. David refers to Him in Psalm 51:11, "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me." The Holy Spirit appears even more prominently in the New Testament. Jesus talked about Him often. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the (Holy) Spirit. (Matthew 28:19) The Holy Spirit plays a large role in the book of Acts, which was written by Dr. Luke. In fact, the Holy Spirit is first mentioned in the second verse of Acts. "until the day [Jesus] was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen." Despite what some traditions may say, I would contend that the Holy Spirit is alive and active - He is a being. He speaks (Acts 1:16; 8:29; 10:19; etc.), He enables people to speak, in some occasions different languages (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31), He bears witness to things (Acts 5:32), He sends out Christians (Acts 13:4), the Holy Spirit "has made... overseers," in other words, appointing people to accomplish tasks, He also is equal to God the Father and is linked with us. (Acts 5:3, 9; 15:28) (Photo credit to: TurnBackToGod)

Acts 16:7 also calls Him the "Spirit of Jesus" (see Romans 8:9). This further links the Holy Spirit with God the Father, since Jesus is God the Son. Since we know that the Holy Spirit is God the Spirit, this is perfectly logical. How did the Holy Spirit work in Acts? We begin in Acts 2:2-4. "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

It can be noted that Dr. Luke illustrates in Acts the progression of the gospel as well as the expansion of the church through the Holy Spirit. The church began with Jews and Gentiles who were committed to Judaism as if they were Jews, but the Holy Spirit expanded this to all people, including Samaritans  (Acts 8:14-17). The Holy Spirit enables us, both men and women, to be a witness. (Acts 1:8; 4:33) By being filled with the Holy Spirit, we can speak with power. (Acts 2:4, 14; 4:8, 31; 6:10) Acts 8:29 says, "The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it." Acts 10:19 reveals, "While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simon, three men are looking for you.'" These two verses reveal that the Holy Spirit has on occasion told Christians to preach to certain men, but does not reveal the manner in which this is revealed. (Speech/Thought)

Just as the Holy Spirit was involved in prophecy all throughout the Hebrew Bible, He was (and still is) involved in the New Testament. He prophesied through Agabus (Acts 21:10-11), which was fulfilled when St. Paul was imprisoned by Gentiles. Prophecy was connected to the church in the way that it strengthened and encouraged the church. (Acts 15:32) Compare this to 1st Corinthians 14:3 which says, "But to those who prophesy speak to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort." The Holy Spirit's activities are clearly seen in Acts and continue today. This is to fulfill what was said through the prophet Joel, "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." (Joel 2:28-29)

This also occurred to fulfill what Jesus said while on earth. John 14:16-17, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." He also says in Luke 15:26, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father - the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father - he will testify about me." The Holy Spirit plays a prominent role in the lives of every person on the planet, whether they realize it or not. The Holy Spirit is the one whom we ought to credit with the expansion and spread of Christianity. No single man has influenced history as much as Jesus Christ (see entry: "Jesus: The Most Influential Person In History?"), and God the Spirit has been and is the cause for this. We all experience the effects that Jesus has had on all areas of life: history, politics, economics, social areas, etc. This has all been furthered by the Holy Spirit through people.

The Holy Spirit plays an important role in Acts, and all throughout History. God the Spirit was there In the Beginning: God spoke, and the Spirit acted. This continues in prophetic speech. As pointed out in 2nd Peter 21, "For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along through the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:29-33 reveals to us that indeed the Holy Spirit truly did write through people, such as King David. In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is directly responsible for the miracles, healings, and raising the dead to life. The Holy Spirit worked through St. Peter, St. Paul, Dr. Luke, St. John, and many, many others. St. Peter healed a lame beggar (Acts 3:1-10), the apostles healed many people (Acts 5:12-16), allowed St. Paul to raise to life a dead youth (Acts 20:7-12), and many other acts.

Troy Hillman

Exploring Near-Death Experiences

Millions of people around the world claim to have had a Near-Death or Out-Of-Body Experience. (NDE or OBE) An estimated 8-15 millions U.S. citizens claim to have had one such experience. Typically, these experiences occur near "clinical death," which happens after a person stops breathing - and your heart stops beating. About 40% report a NDE. Is there something to these experiences, or are they perhaps just the effects of a dying brain? Are these experiences biblical - or unbiblical?[1] Most reports of a Near-Death experience are similar. The patient reports 1 feeling of happiness or peacefulness followed by a separation from the body - the soul leaving the physical body - viewing surrounds from a distance, passing through a tunnel toward a bright light, meeting a being of light which "feels like love," meeting deceased friends and relatives, a life review, and a decision to - or command - return to life once more.[2] 

Now, let us examine NDE's - could they merely just be caused by a dying brain, or is there something more? In today's world, NDE's are more common than ever before, due to better medical equipment and better medical training as well as medicine. Doctors are able to revive many people who are "clinically dead."[3] Such experiences are not new. Indeed they have been described throughout history. One notable case is from the Greek philosopher Plato, who wrote about a soldier, Er, who died in war. Er's spirit allegedly flew up into the air and into a strange land, and he traveled with other dead soldiers. After seeing this strange land, Er was sent back to his body to tell people about the land he had seen. This alleged experience was written more than 2000 years ago.[4]

There are some Near-Death Experiences that are called "Veridical NDE's." These support the belief that people can have an awareness far from their body. For example, during a Veridical NDE, a person could see events occurring far from the physical body's location. For example, people will report seeing relatives or friends doing something specific. "I saw my brother, who lives hundreds of miles away, getting the high score of 12,000 on some new game he got, then he proceeded to write a reminder to pick up his red coat at the dry cleaners." When called, the brother, astonished, confirms the details. In 2001, a study headed by researcher Pim van Lommel, was done in the Netherlands with 344 people. Scientists interview these people who had been revived - all following heart attacks. This study showed that several common alleged causes of NDE's did not add up. All of the patients had lost consciousness when their brains did not receive enough oxygen - only 18% reported having a NDE. This study tended to breakdown the idea that NDE's are caused by a fear of death: most of these heart attacks happened suddenly: the person had not time to fear. This study showed that cerebral anoxia may not be the cause of NDE's. [5] What is cerebral anoxia? Cerebral anoxia was first studied in 1981. The condition occurs when the brain doesn't receive enough oxygen, producing hallucinations. Some believe this to be the cause of NDE's. Let us examine more of the history surrounding these experiences. The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) was formed in 1882. The organization began to study Near-Death Experiences and similar unexplained things. Dr. James Hyslop, who studied psychology, wrote a famous research paper which was published in 1907.[6]

In 1919, Hyslop wrote Contact With the Other World, a book in which he described several reported NDE's. Not all researchers were interested in proving the validity of these experiences. Dr. Edward Clarke, for example, believed that NDE's occurred when the brain fails to function properly. Other scientists believed that people were hallucinating. Some scientists still believe these things. George Richie, who was in the U.S. Army, became ill while training. In 1943, Ritchie was clinically dead - several minutes passed. When he was revived, he at one point wrote his detailed account of his experience.[7] It was this detailed account that led to Dr. Raymond Moody to become interested in the topic. Moody is now a well-known NDE researcher, publishing a book in 1975, Life after Life, which included 150 NDE's. Moody is credited with coining the term "near-death experiences." In 1982, Dr. Michael Sabom wrote Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation, in which he notes that many people who have these experiences accurately report events occurring around them while clinically dead.[8]

It has been shown that NDE's drastically affect the way a person lives the rest of his or her life. For example, those who had these experiences during childhood or adolescence were less afraid of dying than others - and reportedly enjoy life more than those who have not had such experiences, though this is not always the case. While most researches claim that NDE's are nothing more than neurological and chemical phenomena in the mind, others cite NDE's as evidence for the soul, for the existence othe afterlife. [9] Dr. Don Rhodes notes, "One of the most common characteristics of the so-called near-death experience is encountering a being of light. This being is said to emanate love and warmth. It has been claimed by numerous (not all) individuals who have had alleged near-death experiences that the being of light they encountered was none other than Jesus Christ.[10] One must note, however, that people also claim to meet Buddha, Krishna, and other figures prominent in various religious traditions. For example - Betty J. Eadie's book, Embraced by the Light, is essentially a near-death experience written (we may argue) simply to support Mormon doctrines. It is for these reasons among others that some Christians seek to identity the common "being of light" reported in NDE's as the angel Lucifer, using St. Paul's words about Satan disguising himself as an angel of light as a "proof-text".

Nevertheless, there are a number of uncertainties in these experiences, their validity, their accuracy, and their vast differences. Yet, part of being Christian - part of being human - is accepting ambiguity, mystery and uncertainty at times. The very origin of the term "sacraments" within the Christian traditions is derived from the word mystery. We may say that although we have textual clues within sacred Scripture, God has not fully revealed every detail of the afterlife to us. Now, near-death experiences occur all the time. Are these merely hallucinations caused by the loss of oxygen in your brain, or could these experiences perhaps show that there is actually life after death? Personally, of course, I believe that some of these experiences indicate life after death. I believe that we should remain open both to the possibilities, and to the movement of God's Spirit in our world today.

Troy Hillman

Sources

[1] Martin, Michael. The Unexplained: Near-Death Experiences. 1st ed. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2005. 8-27. Print.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid, [1]

[4] Ibid, [1]

[5] Ibid, [1]

[6] Ibid, [1]

[7] Ibid, [1]

[8] Ibid, [1]

[9] 1983. Counts, Dorothy E. Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences in a Melanesian Society. Anabiosis 3:115-135.

[10] Don Rhodes, Dr. "Near Death Experiences - Who is the being of light encountered in near-death experiences?." Christian Answers Network. Christian Answers Network, n.d. Web. July 2010. 

Will People Know and Remember Each Other in Heaven?

 

According to Christian theology, do people in heaven remember their family and friends? This question has been explored through various biblical passages and theological reflections throughout Christian history. Several scriptures suggest that recognition and memory may persist in the afterlife. For instance, in 2 Samuel 12:23, King David mourns the death of his child with Bathsheba, saying, “...I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” This statement suggests David’s belief in a future reunion, implying continuity of identity and relationship beyond death.

In Luke 15:7,10, Jesus states that there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. This passage implies that heavenly beings are aware of earthly events, possibly including the identities of those who turn to God. Similarly, 1 Corinthians 13:12 offers an eschatological vision in which personal knowledge is deepened: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face... then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

In 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20, Paul writes, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?” Here, Paul appears to anticipate a shared joy with the believers he had ministered to, suggesting recognition in the afterlife. Similarly, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 describes the resurrection and the gathering of believers at Christ’s return as a source of comfort, implying the continuity of interpersonal relationships.

Some narratives from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament also suggest postmortem recognition. In 1 Samuel 28, the prophet Samuel, called up by the medium of Endor, recognizes and speaks with King Saul. In the account of the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28–36), Moses and Elijah appear and speak with Jesus. Although Peter had never met either figure, he recognizes them and proposes building shelters in their honor—perhaps a symbolic acknowledgment of their known identities. Hebrews 12:1–2, following a catalog of faithful figures in chapter 11, speaks of a “great cloud of witnesses,” suggesting the idea that the saints are aware of or somehow connected to the ongoing spiritual lives of believers on earth.One of the more vivid examples is found in Luke 16:19–31, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. In the afterlife, the rich man recognizes both Lazarus and Abraham, engaging in conversation with the latter. While this is a parable and may not be a literal depiction of the afterlife, it does convey the idea of continuity of memory and awareness after death. Other verses also appear to support this view. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul encourages believers not to grieve “as others do who have no hope,” reinforcing the idea that relationships are not obliterated by death. Matthew 8:11 envisions many gathering at the heavenly banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—named individuals whose identities are presumably recognized. In Matthew 12:38–41, Jesus says that “the people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it,” suggesting continued awareness and moral agency of past figures.

Mike Scott of ScriptureSays.com poses a series of rhetorical questions on this topic, challenging the notion that personal identity or memory might be lost in the afterlife. His questions—such as whether we would recognize ourselves or how we could offer praise for redemption without memory of being saved—are meant to underscore the theological argument for continuity of personal identity in heaven. [1]

Christian reflection has also occasionally turned to reports of near-death experiences (NDEs) and visionary accounts. While many such experiences can be medically explained by brain activity during traumatic events, some are cited as supporting theological insights. One example is from John Bunyan, the 17th-century English author of Pilgrim’s Progress. In a lesser-known visionary narrative, Bunyan describes an out-of-body experience in which he is taken to heaven, where he encounters the prophet Elijah. He writes that he recognized Elijah “at first sight,” without any introduction. Whether taken as a literal event or a literary-theological device, such an account echoes themes present in scriptural passages: the enduring recognition of others, even those never personally met. [2]

Taken together, these texts and traditions suggest that within Christian theology, there is significant support for the idea that individuals will retain memory, identity, and recognition of others—including family and friends—in the afterlife. Some passages even imply that we may know each other more clearly or deeply than we do in this present life.

Troy Hillman

Sources

[1] Scott, Mike. "Will we know each other in heaven?." What Do The Scriptures Say?. Mike Scott and ScripturesSay.com, n.d. Web. 7 Feb 2011. .

[2] Bunyan, John. Visions of Heaven and Hell. Chapter 3.